Hand operated knitting machine



y 1958 E. LUCHSIN GER 2,844,015

HAND OPERATED KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 31, 1955 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 AI f-l-l-ll'nl 'Q' WIE'I'IIII' fl l H, I MIIM 1 fl= [6'2 I INVENTOR:

ERNST LUCHSINGER AT TORNEYS July 22, 1958 Q E. LUCHSINGER 2,844,015

HAND OPERATED KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 31, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FRNST L UCHSINGER ATTORNEYS United States HAND ()PERATED KNITTINGMACHINE Ernst Luchsinger, Kusnacht, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor toFibra A. G., Glarus, Switzerland The present invention relates to handoperatedknitting machines and more particularly to knititng machines ofthe type having a cam-box serving to operate latch needles.

In this type of knitting machines it is of importance toensure that thelast formed row of stitches suspended from the stems of the latchneedles, will be :properly knocked over after the yarn has been formedinto a new row of zig-zag loops.

In known apparatus weights or the .like are applied to the fabric inorder to substantially prevent movement of the stitches of the lastknitted row and to enable the needles to slide through the stitches ormeshes retained in the described manner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide novel means in aknitting machine of the type described which positively ensure that theswitches are knocked over from the stems of the needles over theirclosed hooks onto a row of zig-zag loops.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means in aknitting machine of the type described of knocking over means which maybe removablyarranged at any desired point of the widthof the needle bed.

In order that the invention may bebetter understood and put in practicetwo embodiments of the inventionrare hereinafter described by way ofexamplewand with :reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l showsasidezview of a first embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2 shows a top view of the embodiment according to Fig. 1,

Figs. 3 6 show diagrammatically the method of operation of thedeviceaccording to'the invention,

Fig. 7 illustrates a second embodiment of the :invention in a viewsimilar to that of Fig. 1 but drawn to a smaller scale,

Fig. 8 is a top view of the embodiment of Fig. 7.

In the first embodiment (Figs. 1-6) the numeral 1 designates an oblongsupport having a covered bed for a row of latch needles 2 and a cam-box3 provided with a handle 3a, which cam-box serves to operate the latchneedles in a known manner. At the front longitudinal side of the support1 a retaining comb 4 is formed by a row of teeth extending from thesupport in an upwardly inclined direction. This retaining comb permitsto drawout the yarn B into a row of zig-zag loops and further to holdthe fabric A when the needles 2 slide back.

The knocking over comb provided at the knitting machine comprises aledge 5 carrying a blade 6 of spring steel, in which a number ofparallel fingers 6a are formed by a corresponding number of recesses.This knocking over comb 5, 6, 6a, which is arranged behind the retainingcomb 4 and transversely with respect to atent O the path of movement ofthe latch needles 2 is secured by two holding pins 7 by means of itsledge 5. The

I holding pins 7 are arranged at the support 1 in a line p yarn B islaid out in the open end hooks of the latch needles 2 situated in theiradvanced position ahead of the retaining comb 4, as shown in Fig. 3. Theyarn may be laid out either by hand or by a threadguide. The stitches ofthe lastknitted row of the fabric A are situated behind the opened latch2a immediately in front of the corresponding fingers 6a of the knockingover comb: the distance between adjacent fingers of the lattercorresponds to the distance between adjacent working needles 2.

As the needles 2 commence their backward movement towards theirwithdrawn position rearwardly ofthe-retaining comb 4 due to movement ofthe cam-box in the direction indicated in Fig. 2 by an arrow, the row ofstitches suspended from said latch needles have the tendency to followthis backward movement. Normally however, the stitches will be hinderedby the retaining comb 4 from being entrained by the backward movement ofthe needles 2. The latch needles 2 therefore glide .back through thestitches wherebythe latches 2a of the needles 2 are movedinto theirclosed position by thefabric A as shown, the end hooks of the latchneedles 2 thereby being closed. These closedhooks form portions ofincreased thickness at the free ends of the needles which naturally willmake it difiicult for the stitches of the last formed row to be knockedover said needle ends. Due to these portions at the needle ends the casemay arrive where the fabric will partly be drawn into the retaining combor through the latter, thus endangering a positive operation of theknitting machine in that some of the stitches may not be knocked overtheneedle-hooks which. may result in faults in the produced .fabric. Theconditions giving rise to such faults are especially grave, ifrelatively small stitches are produced, i. e. if the travel of the latchneedles is short. By means of the knocking over comb 5, 6, 6a, thefingers Ga-of which will prevent with their free ends a backwardmovement of thestit'ches of the fabric A as shown in Fig. 5, it isensured, that the stitches are properly knocked over the needle-ends. Inthe withdrawn position of the needle 2'the h'ooks will be in theposition shown in Fig. 6, rearwardly of the'forward ends of the fingers6a even'if'thetravelofthe needles 2 is very short. This effect of theknocking'over combis especially important at points of the fabric wherethe tension of the latter is small, as for instance at the stitchessituated near the edge of the fabric.

The knocking over comb may extend over the whole length of the retainingcomb 4 at the knitting machine whereby a finger 6a is co-ordinated witheach needle 2, or the knocking over comb may extend in its length onlyover a limited number of needles 2 as shown. In the latter case theknocking over comb is placed at points of the fabric where it will benecessary to prevent backward movement of the stitches, the knockingover comb then being secured to the support by means of the holding pins7.

It will be understood that the knocking over comb may be of dilferentconstruction and that also other means may be used to secure the latterto the knitting machine. The knocking over comb may for instance beprovided with a flap having fingers and spring-loaded, thus keeping thefingers in the path-of movement of the latchneedles,

3 On the other hand the knocking over comb may also be formed by meansof fingers being secured directly to the support 1, which fingers couldhave an inherent spring action or which might be spring-loaded. Insteadof a stationary arrangement ofthe knocking over comb the latter may besecured to the cam-box 3 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the comb beingformed in this case by a plate consisting of spring steel which extendswith its forward part in a downwardly inclined direction. The free edgeof this plate projects into the path of movement of the 3 I latchneedles and into the vicinity of the retaining comb 4. The plate 8 isdisplaced together with the cam-box 3, its free edge co-operating withthe needles 2 moving into their withdrawn position, thereby preventingthe stitches from being entrained backwardly by the movement of theneedles.

I claim:

1. In a hand operated knitting machine having a support, a needle bedarranged on said support, latch needles guided in said needle bed formovement between a withdrawn and an advanced position, a cam-boxslidably arranged on said support for moving said latch-needles betweensaid two positions, a retaining comb mounted upon said support so as tobe positioned ahead of the ends of the needles in the withdrawn positionof the latter and rearwardly of the ends of the needles in the advancedposition of the latter, knocking over meansarranged rearwardly of saidretaining comb and immediately above said latch needles, said knockingover means including resilient means resting directly on said needlesand adapted to glide on the latter when these are moved and to knockover the stitches suspended from said needles upon movement of thelatter to their withdrawn position.

2. In a hand operated knitting machine having a support, a needle bedarranged on said support, latch needles guided in said needle bed formovement between a withdrawn and an advanced position, a cam-boxslidably arranged on said support for moving said latch-needles betweensaid two positions, a retaining comb mounted upon said support so as tobe positioned ahead of the ends of the needles in the withdrawn positionof the latter and rearwardly of the ends of the needles in the advancedposition of the latter, a knocking over comb arranged rearwardly of saidretaining comb and immediately above said latch needles, said knockingover comb having its teeth constituted as resilient fingers, each ofsaid fingers resting directly on one of said needles and cooperatingtherewith to knock over the stitch suspended from said needle uponmovement of the latter to its withdrawn position.

3. In a hand operated knitting machine having a support, a needle bedarranged on said support, latch needles guided in said needle bed formovement between a withdrawn and an advanced position, a cam-boxslidably arranged on said support for moving said latch-needles betweensaid two positions, a retaining comb mounted upon said support so as tobe positioned ahead of the ends of the needles in the withdrawn positionof the latter and rearwardly of the ends of the needles in the advancedposition of the latter, knocking over means arranged rearwardly of saidretaining means and immediately above said latch needles, saidknocking-over means comprising a resilient plate having cut-outs toprovide a number of resilient fingers, each of said fingers restingdirectly on one of said needles and cooperating therewith to knock overthe stitch suspended from said needle upon movement of the latter to itswithdrawn position.

4. A hand operated knitting machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidknocking over means are removably secured to said support.

5. A hand operated knitting machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidknocking over means are removably secured to said support and adapted tobe positioned at any desired point of the width of the needle bed.

6. In a hand operated knitting machine having a support, a needle bedarranged on said support, latch needles guided in said needle bed formovement between a withdrawn and an advanced position, a cam-boxslidably arranged on said support for moving said latch-needles betweensaid two positions, a retaining comb upon said support so as to bepositioned ahead of the ends of the needles in the withdrawn position ofthe latter and rearwardly of the ends of the needles in the advancedposition of the latter, knocking over means removably arrangedrearwardly of said retaining comb and immediately above a portion ofsaid latch needles, said knockingover comb having its teeth constitutedas resilient fingers, each of said fingers resting directly on one ofsaid portions of said needles to knock over the stitch suspended fromsaid needle upon movement of the latter to its withdrawn position.

7. In a hand operat d knitting machine having a support, a needle bedarranged on said support, latch needles guided in said needle bed formovement between a withdrawn and an advanced position, a cam-boxslidably arranged on said support for moving said latch-needles betweensaid two positions, a retaining comb upon said support so as to bepositioned ahead of the ends of the needles in the withdrawn position ofthe latter and rearwardly of the ends of the needles in the advancedposition of the latter, knocking over means comprising a resilient platesecured to said cam box for movement therewith along the needles, theend portion of said plate being supported by a portion of said needlesto knock over the stitches suspended from said needles as they are movedinto their withdrawn position by the cam box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,501,045 Groszmann Mar. 21, 1950 2,715,328 Buhrer Aug. 16, 1955 FOREIGNPATENTS 518,106 Belgium Mar. 31, 1953

